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Winterbourne Hall has stood for two centuries on a prime spot of land, overlooking the sea in Cornwall.
In 1947, Alice Miller escapes her tedious life in London and difficulties from her past to take a job as governess there. The heir and owner of the estate, Captain Jonathan de Grey, has lost his wife and needs care for his twin 8-year-olds, a boy and a girl. The man who hires Alice insistently inquires if she can handle living in an isolated area with few other people around. He also asks if she will commit to stay; the previous governess was only there a few weeks.
When Alice arrives, she finds an imposing, gothic house in need of repairs and staffed by a handful of people. But she finds the children charming and is happy to take care of them. Then there’s the master of the house, the remote and injured but handsome captain. Something about him calls to her.
In the current day, Rachel Wright is a successful art gallery owner in New York. Her past harbors heartbreak but she holds it close to her heart. She was adopted and has always felt a bit unmoored without knowing anything about her biological parents. When she receives a letter out of the blue informing her that she is the only heir to the Winterbourne estate, being the niece of the last occupant, she is shocked. But she immediately makes her way to Cornwall to assess the house and learn more about her lineage.
Both women begin to notice strange things at Winterbourne. For Alice, the children begin acting oddly and turn on her after their initial sweetness and acceptance. Rachel works on fixing up the house for a sale but keeps running into problems. Both see things and sense a dark presence. And both are warned about its past: Winterbourne simply brings grief and tragedy to those who make it their home.
Rachel slowly pieces together the truth about her parentage and the history that led to the losses and heartbreak experienced by each generation of inhabitants. But she has an idea, and she hopes that, after two centuries, she may be able to heal an old wound and bring peace to the home.
The Woman in the Mirror is a clean historical fiction book, a gothic tale with touches of the paranormal. It has all the elements that make for a good story in this genre, and I found it satisfying reading.
Rated: Mild. Profanity includes one or two instances of British language, about 15 uses of mild language, and a handful of instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are a few scenes of sex but no details. There is some violence but nothing detailed or intense.
